▲ Constructs a production plant with an annual capacity 30,000 tons using a hybrid integrated process that combines wet capture and membrane separation technologies, a first in Korea

▲ Enhances domestic technological self-reliance through industry-academia-research collaboration and expands the low-carbon hydrogen ecosystem with core CCU technology

Hyundai E&C is fully advancing the transition to eco-friendly energy and the expansion of the hydrogen economy by successfully completing the construction of a Korean-style integrated CO₂ capture and liquefaction process demonstration facility.

On Tuesday, October 14th, Hyundai E&C held a completion ceremony for the CO₂ capture and liquefaction demonstration facility at the Pyeongtaek Hydrogen Complex in Gyeonggi-do Province. The event was attended by key officials, including Kim Tae-young, a Director at the Ministry of Science and ICT, and Kim Jae-young, President of the Hyundai E&C Technology Research Institute, who gathered to share the successful demonstration outcomes of the Korean-style integrated CO₂ capture and liquefaction process.

The recently completed demonstration facility is the fruit of a 2022 national initiative by the Ministry of Science and ICT, the ‘Development of Hybrid CO₂ Capture, Liquefaction, and Utilization Technology for Blue Hydrogen Production.’ Through research, development, and on-site verification, the project has proven the feasibility of its commercialization.

As the lead organization in the project, Hyundai E&C spearheaded the entire process, from engineering and construction to operation. The company completed a hybrid-type integrated process—the first in Korea to combine wet capture and membrane separation methods—and through this, established a facility capable of consistently capturing and liquefying 30,000 tons of CO₂ annually from the gas emissions of hydrogen production facilities.

Through this project, Hyundai E&C demonstrated ▲a capture efficiency of over 90% and ▲the attainment of high-purity CO₂ with a purity of over 95%. The captured CO₂ can be utilized as liquid carbon dioxide and dry ice through a liquefaction process, or it can be sold as a specialty gas or converted into raw materials for synthetic fuels and chemical products, thereby securing its commercial applicability.

Notably, major corporations, universities, and research institutions, including Hyundai Motor Company, Lotte Chemical, the Korea Institute of Energy Research, Mal Eun Environmental Industrial, ENIS, and Hankook Special Gas, jointly participated in this project. Hyundai E&C has made a significant mark by enhancing the nation's technological self-reliance and expanding the industrial ecosystem for CO₂ capture and utilization through industry-academia-research collaboration.

A Hyundai E&C official stated, “Securing core technological capabilities throughout the entire process, from the launch of the national initiative in 2022 to the completion of the Pyeongtaek demonstration facility, is a momentous achievement in preparing for the development of the blue hydrogen industry and the realization of carbon neutrality.” The official added, “Based on the technological prowess and demonstration project experience we have accumulated, we will continue to strengthen our leadership in the global eco-friendly energy market.”

Based on the outcomes of this demonstration project, Hyundai E&C plans to contribute to achieving carbon neutrality by expanding the application of its CO₂ capture and liquefaction technology to a wide range of industrial sites, including large-scale hydrogen plants, incinerators, and liquified natural gas (LNG) boilers at home and abroad. Additionally, the company is concentrating on securing core competencies to expand the hydrogen value chain, such as by completing the construction of green hydrogen production infrastructure based on water electrolysis technology in Buan, Jeollabuk-do Province, last month.